Christian

[kris-chuh n] /ˈkrɪs tʃən/
adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings:
a Christian faith.
2.
of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ:
Spain is a Christian country.
3.
of or pertaining to Christians:
many Christian deaths in the Crusades.
4.
exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike:
She displayed true Christian charity.
5.
decent; respectable:
They gave him a good Christian burial.
6.
human; not brutal; humane:
Such behavior isn't Christian.
noun
7.
a person who believes in Jesus Christ; adherent of Christianity.
8.
a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ:
He died like a true Christian.
9.
a member of any of certain Protestant churches, as the Disciples of Christ and the Plymouth Brethren.
10.
the hero of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
11.
a male given name.
Origin
1250-1300; < Latin Chrīstiānus < Greek Chrīstiānós, equivalent to Chrīst(ós) Christ + -iānos < Latin -iānus -ian; replacing Middle English, Old English cristen < Latin, as above

Christian

[kris-chuh n] /ˈkrɪs tʃən/
noun
1.
Charlie, 1916–42, U.S. jazz guitarist.
British Dictionary definitions for christians

Christian1

/ˈkrɪstʃən/
noun
1.
  1. a person who believes in and follows Jesus Christ
  2. a member of a Christian Church or denomination
2.
(informal) a person who possesses Christian virtues, esp practical ones
adjective
3.
of, relating to, or derived from Jesus Christ, his teachings, example, or his followers
4.
(sometimes not capital) exhibiting kindness or goodness
Derived Forms
Christianly, adjective, adverb

Christian2

/ˈkrɪstʃən/
noun
1.
Charlie. 1919–42, US jazz guitarist
Word Origin and History for christians

Christian

n., adj.

16c., forms replacing earlier Christen, from Old English cristen (noun and adjective), from a West Germanic borrowing of Church Latin christianus, from Ecclesiastical Greek christianos, from Christos (see Christ). First used in Antioch, according to Acts xi:25-26. Christian Science as the name of a religious sect is from 1863.

christians in Culture

Christian definition


A follower or disciple of Jesus; someone who believes Jesus is the Christ or Messiah. The New Testament mentions that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians within a few years after his death.

Christian definition


A follower of Jesus and his teachings. Christian is also a descriptive term for the institutions and practices of Christianity.

christians in the Bible

the name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers of Jesus. It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were known among themselves were "brethren," "the faithful," "elect," "saints," "believers." But as distinguishing them from the multitude without, the name "Christian" came into use, and was universally accepted. This name occurs but three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Pet. 4:16).